CGI Porn

Rating: 6/10 (3 October 2013)

This is a movie of extremes. When it is good it is great, and when it is bad it is abysmal, yet the balance is still positive.
So, what were the hits and misses? Let's start with the bad:
1) Actors: Granted, the dialogs are as camp as they come and this is not exactly a psychological thriller, yet none of them went above the "completely forgettable" level. Except for Rob Perlman, of course and even him seemed to struggle.
2) Plot: this is CGI porn, and as in porn, the plot is merely an excuse to tie up some great CGI scenes. I love mindless action movies, and I usually do not have much trouble suspending my disbelief, but this time I found myself making too many efforts to dismiss some blatant plot holes.
3) Pacing: for a movie with no plot, even as great looking as this one, 131 minutes is just too much. With characters lacking any depth, and speeches a la Independence Day, one ends up feeling that it would have been a great 90-100 minutes movie. Not looking forward to the extended cut.
Now, the good:
1) CGI: CGI is nowadays ubiquitous so when I read some review saying "amazing digital effects!" I take that with a pinch of salt. To be honest, not even the new Star Wars trilogy impressed me much. But this one is great. Not a matter of budget, but of taste.
2) Great References: Godzilla? Mazinger Z? Anime? Sci Fi B movies of the 50s? Everything is there, but it's done with class, not a mere copy paste of random bits, but organically fused in a single piece. Many of the objections are more limitations of those genres than issues with this movie only. A wonderful homage to our childhood.
3) Love: Guillermo del Toro loved what he was doing and it shows. It is not the perfect film, but is still enjoyable, despite it's bad spots.
Hey, it's about having some mindless fun and that he achieves!